


hiding

by pastelpacis (cottoncandyacey)



Series: Regressuary 2020 [16]
Category: The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, CGRE - Caregiver/Age Regressor, CGRE Caregiver Minho (Maze Runner), CGRE Regressor Newt (Maze Runner), Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, injuries, kinda at least idk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:07:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22756003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cottoncandyacey/pseuds/pastelpacis
Summary: [Day 16 Prompt: Character A gets hurt but hides it until it gets infected. Character B finds out. Cue A regressing, and B comforting them.]Newt is limping more than usual.
Relationships: Minho/Newt (Maze Runner)
Series: Regressuary 2020 [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1619770
Comments: 6
Kudos: 72
Collections: Regressuary, Regressuary 2020





	hiding

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this when I was hyperfixating on Maze Runner in like... early-mid January? Whoops  
> Anyway yeah idk just take this, I don’t hate it, but I don’t exactly love it either? Idk.

Newt is limping more than usual. Minho has noticed, but he keeps quiet, thinking it’s just a bad day for the blonde’s joints. It’s not uncommon, and his ankle always seemed to get worse for a day or two when he was stressed, but it’s been four days now. So, once they all settle down for the night, Minho seeks out the Second. 

“Newt?” He whispers, and Newt’s head picks up, his whole body abruptly tense. Minho frowns. “Come with me a second?”

Newt nods, carefully slipping out of his hammock. They make it halfway to the Med-Jack hut before Newt collapses, cursing softly as he forces himself back to his feet. Minho frowns, and scoops Newt off his feet before he can protest. 

“I can walk, you know.” Newt grumbles, but Minho just hums dismissively and holds him tighter, waiting until Newt gives up, sighing and relaxing into him, to loosen his grip to where Newt won’t be trapped against him and can settle comfortably. 

Minho carries to where the Med-Jacks do their work, setting him down on the grass outside the building. 

“Let me see your ankle.” He demands, and as soon as he sees the panic flash across Newt’s face, he knows he’s caught his boyfriend red handed. 

Newt opens his mouth, but all it takes is Minho sternly saying his name, and he can see Newt deflate as he pulls up his pant leg, showing a bandage wrap around his bad ankle. Minho gently unwraps it, feeling his stomach drop. 

There’s a cut there. Not overly long, maybe an inch at the most, but the skin around it is red, and when Minho touches it delicately, Newt whimpers and the skin is warm to the touch. He pushes lightly, and a small bit discharge seeps out, and Minho feels his stomach churn lightly. And suddenly, things make sense. 

Newt hasn’t been eating as much as usual, and is almost always wearing his hoodie now. That would make sense if he was having some nausea, and feeling cold from a possible fever if it was a bad infection. 

“Stay here. I’m going to clean it.” Minho orders, and Newt nods, while Minho goes to fetch supplies to clean the infection for him. 

When he comes back, Newt is nibbling at his nails, spaced out. Minho gently taps his nose, and Newt flinches back to the present, looking at his nails, disappointment suddenly overtaking his expression. He looks down, now fidgeting with his hands in his lap as Minho gets to work, gently pushing around the wound to push discharge and anything else out as he swipes over it gently with a damp rag. 

Newt flinches, but stays still otherwise as Minho treats it, before sitting beside the Second. 

“We’ll have it air out for a little bit, then I’ll wrap it. Good that?” Minho asks, and he notices that Newt hesitates before echoing “good that” back to him. And for a moment, Minho just looks at Newt. 

Newt is staring down at his hands, cracking his fingers knuckle by knuckle, slowly, and once he cracks the last one, he tries to crack his wrists. He’s knocking his feet together slowly, careful not to hurt his ankle any further. He’s got his shoulders hunched, and hair is falling into his face, obscuring it from Minho’s view. Minho reaches out, brushing it behind Newt’s ear, and Newt leans into it and… hang on. 

“...Newt?” Minho asks softly, and Newt glances to him, calm and blank expression on his face. 

“Hm?”

There’s a beat, and Minho speaks. “Do you… feel small?”

Newt goes completely, utterly still, eyes widening, and Minho knows he’s hit the nail on the head. He sighs, and gently wraps an arm over Newt’s shoulders, nuzzling against the blonde’s temple (at least it’s not too hard to do when Newt is slouching like he is right now) and shushing him softly, feeling Newt immediately melt into him. 

They don’t have a real name for it, but sometimes Newt suddenly feels, as he had put it when explaining it to Minho, “softer and smaller, like I’m a kid again” but they’d discovered that it helps Newt relax and let off steam in a quiet, discreet way, so they kept it up. It’s a little strange, but it helps Newt, so Minho doesn’t mind. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Minho reassures. “This helps you, remember? I’m not mad.”

Newt sniffles, and nods, curling into Minho more, careful not to move his bad ankle as he nuzzles against the Runner’s shoulder, whimpering softly, allowing Minho to pet his hair gently, shushing him softly. It works like a charm, and Newt settles almost immediately. 

They stay like that for a small while, Minho stroking through Newt’s hair, Newt embracing the feeling. But soon enough, Minho needs to check Newt’s ankle. Newt whines, but agrees, and lets Minho check it. 

The skin around the cut is dry, so Minho bandages it, and helps Newt to his feet, gathering the other boy into his arms and carrying him back to where his hammock is, and making sure he was safely in it.

“I need to get some sleep too, okay?” Minho whispered, and Newt nodded, reaching up to brush his fingers over Minho’s cheek lovingly. Minho smiles, catching his hand and pressing a soft kiss to his knuckles. 

“Sleep well, Min.” Newt mumbles quietly, and Minho smiles, leaning down to kiss Newt properly, a soft, fleeting kiss that lingers for barely a second, before he’s pulling away. 

“Sweet dreams, Newt.” Minho murmured back, watching Newt’s face brighten in a smile before he went back to his own hammock to sleep.

Maybe two yards away, Newt slowly started to drift off, still feeling small, but also safe and protected with Minho not far away if he needed him. He didn’t need to hide, not from Minho.

Never from Minho. 

**Author's Note:**

> Commenting moderation is on, but only to protect against hate/negative comments. Thank you for reading!


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